Steve Alexander

Basketball Daily Dose

Dose: Welcome back, Steph!

LeBron James and the Cavs stole Game 1 in overtime in Toronto on Tuesday, and the Warriors welcomed back Stephen Curry and disposed of the Pelicans again in Game 2, taking a 2-0 lead in their series, which now heads to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Warriors 121, Pelicans 116 – Warriors lead 2-0 – Stephen Curry played for the first time since March 23 due to a left knee injury. He came off the bench, played 27 minutes and hit 8-of-15 shots, 5-of-10 3-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws for 28 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals in dramatic fashion. He did have six turnovers, so we at least know that he is human. Welcome back, Steph!

Kevin Durant got hot in the second half and tore it up in the fourth quarter, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, three blocks and two 3-pointers. He’s hit just 16-of-59 3-pointers in these playoffs (27%), but there’s no way he keeps missing from deep at such a clip. He literally took over the game and now that Curry is back and looking good, the only team that can beat the Warriors is probably Houston – and that battle, assuming we get to see it in the Western Conference Finals – should be one for the ages.

Draymond Green just missed a triple-double with 20 points, nine boards, 12 assists, a steal, two blocks and two (wide open) 3-pointers. He’s averaging a triple-double in this series, as well as 14.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games. He was also woofing with Rajon Rondo and took every opportunity to annoy and delay Anthony Davis from getting off the ground every chance he got. He’s not about to let the Warriors appear to be ‘soft’ going forward, and he was not playing around tonight.

Editor’s Note: Fantasy Baseball season is here! With over 15,000 reviews, DRAFT is the highest rated fantasy sports app. For a limited time, DRAFT is giving Rotoworld readers a FREE entry into a real money fantasy baseball draft and a Money-Back Guarantee up to $100! Here's the link

Klay Thompson was the only bust for the Warriors, hitting just 4-of-20 shots and 2-of-11 3-pointers for 10 points, six boards and three assists. He had scored 24 and 27 points in his previous two games, but his shot just wasn’t falling tonight. He’ll see a few less looks with Curry back, but that wasn’t the case tonight. His shots simply wasn’t falling.

Kevon Looney hit 3-of-3 shots and 2-of-2 free throws for eight points, eight boards and a steal, and David West hit 2-of-2 shots for four points, three rebounds, five assists and two blocks off the bench in the win. The Pelicans went on a late tear in the last two minutes, but the final score is misleading in this one. The Warriors were in control for most of the fourth quarter.

Holiday looks amazing and it’s nice to finally see him healthy and rolling through the regular season and playoffs. He might be the most underrated point guard in the league.

Davis is dealing with a sore left shin and had to be attended to at halftime, which might be the least surprising thing you read in this column. He’s playing through it and with the Pels in an 0-2 hole, I don’t see how he doesn’t keep powering through the pain.

Mirotic fouled out, but is an offensive dynamo, and Rondo put up a monster fantasy line, living up to his “Playoff Rondo” nickname, which he is said to despise. He even hit 3-of-3 free throws, for Pete’s sake. Moore has also been playing well for the Pelicans and despite all five starters coming through with big games, the Pelicans never really had a chance in this one. Maybe that will change in Games 3 and 4 in New Orleans on Friday and Sunday, but even if they somehow win both of those, the Warriors are still clearly in the driver’s seat.

LeBron James and the Cavs stole Game 1 in overtime in Toronto on Tuesday, and the Warriors welcomed back Stephen Curry and disposed of the Pelicans again in Game 2, taking a 2-0 lead in their series, which now heads to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Warriors 121, Pelicans 116 – Warriors lead 2-0 – Stephen Curry played for the first time since March 23 due to a left knee injury. He came off the bench, played 27 minutes and hit 8-of-15 shots, 5-of-10 3-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws for 28 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals in dramatic fashion. He did have six turnovers, so we at least know that he is human. Welcome back, Steph!

Kevin Durant got hot in the second half and tore it up in the fourth quarter, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, three blocks and two 3-pointers. He’s hit just 16-of-59 3-pointers in these playoffs (27%), but there’s no way he keeps missing from deep at such a clip. He literally took over the game and now that Curry is back and looking good, the only team that can beat the Warriors is probably Houston – and that battle, assuming we get to see it in the Western Conference Finals – should be one for the ages.

Draymond Green just missed a triple-double with 20 points, nine boards, 12 assists, a steal, two blocks and two (wide open) 3-pointers. He’s averaging a triple-double in this series, as well as 14.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games. He was also woofing with Rajon Rondo and took every opportunity to annoy and delay Anthony Davis from getting off the ground every chance he got. He’s not about to let the Warriors appear to be ‘soft’ going forward, and he was not playing around tonight.

Editor’s Note: Fantasy Baseball season is here! With over 15,000 reviews, DRAFT is the highest rated fantasy sports app. For a limited time, DRAFT is giving Rotoworld readers a FREE entry into a real money fantasy baseball draft and a Money-Back Guarantee up to $100! Here's the link

Klay Thompson was the only bust for the Warriors, hitting just 4-of-20 shots and 2-of-11 3-pointers for 10 points, six boards and three assists. He had scored 24 and 27 points in his previous two games, but his shot just wasn’t falling tonight. He’ll see a few less looks with Curry back, but that wasn’t the case tonight. His shots simply wasn’t falling.

Kevon Looney hit 3-of-3 shots and 2-of-2 free throws for eight points, eight boards and a steal, and David West hit 2-of-2 shots for four points, three rebounds, five assists and two blocks off the bench in the win. The Pelicans went on a late tear in the last two minutes, but the final score is misleading in this one. The Warriors were in control for most of the fourth quarter.

Holiday looks amazing and it’s nice to finally see him healthy and rolling through the regular season and playoffs. He might be the most underrated point guard in the league.

Davis is dealing with a sore left shin and had to be attended to at halftime, which might be the least surprising thing you read in this column. He’s playing through it and with the Pels in an 0-2 hole, I don’t see how he doesn’t keep powering through the pain.

Mirotic fouled out, but is an offensive dynamo, and Rondo put up a monster fantasy line, living up to his “Playoff Rondo” nickname, which he is said to despise. He even hit 3-of-3 free throws, for Pete’s sake. Moore has also been playing well for the Pelicans and despite all five starters coming through with big games, the Pelicans never really had a chance in this one. Maybe that will change in Games 3 and 4 in New Orleans on Friday and Sunday, but even if they somehow win both of those, the Warriors are still clearly in the driver’s seat.

Cavaliers 113, Raptors 112 – Cavs lead 1-0 – Even though it wasn’t pretty, Monday’s Round 2 opener was one for the ages, featuring a barren fourth quarter for the Raptors, overtime, and LeBron James, who triple-doubled, getting some help from his mates.

LeBron did everything, as usual, hitting 12-of-30 shots, 1-of-8 3-pointers and 1-of-6 free throws, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, a steal and two blocks for his 21st career playoff triple-double. It wasn’t all that pretty, or efficient, but it got the job done and the Cavs have already accomplished one of their primary goals in this series – winning a game in Toronto. LeBron’s free throws and 3-pointers were ugly, but he committed just one turnover on the night, helping to right his fantasy ship. The Raptors jumped out to a 33-19 lead, but faced an invisible lid on their basket in the fourth quarter, when they hit just 5-of-24 shots. This was more a case of the Raptors crumbling than it was the Cavaliers beating them, but the final score is all that matters to Cleveland.

James missed the game-winning shot on a tough fadeaway at the buzzer in regulation and the Cavs never even had a lead until overtime. Here are some of the highlights.

Kevin Love hit just 3-of-13 shots and a 3-pointer for seven points and 13 rebounds, but his 3-pointer was a big one late, and his rebounding, while being guarded by DeMar DeRozan late, was huge for the Cavs. He also elbowed DeRozan in the chin while securing a rebound, but DeRozan appears to be fine. Love is dealing with a torn ligament in his left thumb, but you’d think it was his right one, given that he’s hit just 15-of-57 shots (26%) over his last five games. But the fact that the Cavs got by the Pacers and won Game 1 in Toronto with Love struggling so badly is probably more of a boost than anything else at this point.

J.R. Smith came through with 20 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and five 3-pointers on 7-of-17 shooting. Smith had a steal to kick off overtime and hit a 3-pointer (shortly after Korver’s) that gave the Cavs a 111-107 lead in overtime. Smith was feeling it and confident with his shot, hitting 6-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-6 from downtown, but it’s anyone’s guess whether he keeps it going in Game 2 on Thursday. He’s hit 11 3-pointers in his last three games, but runs as hot-and-cold as Cleveland, Ohio does in the spring.

Kyle Korver came through with 19 points and five 3-pointers, and his biggest one of the night was when he hit a 3-pointer after a Smith steal to kick off overtime, and the Cavaliers never looked back. Korver had a couple big games against the Pacers, but had been pretty quiet in his last two games. The Cavs should continue to run pick-and-roll threes Korver as long as they’re alive in these playoffs and he’s become a key part of their offense.

Jeff Green had 16 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer, and hit all four of his shots in the win. He was pretty quiet when the game was on the line, but did a nice job of helping the Cavs overcome an early 14-point deficit. Maybe he’s ready to start doing this on a nightly basis.

Tristan Thompson was probably the unsung hero of this game, playing stellar defense, grabbing clutch boards and hitting shots when they mattered. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and even hit 4-of-4 free throws for the Cavs. Thompson is a legitimate fantasy center in the playoffs, and they’re not all that easy to come by on most nights.

George Hill started as the Cavs went small, but he was negligible, hitting just 2-of-7 shots for four points and three assists. He’s useless in fantasy as long as LeBron is running the point for the Cavs. Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood were nearly invisible in this one, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Especially if Smith can keep it going.

Toronto’s story is a sad one from Tuesday night, as they have to feel like they truly let one get away. The number of bunny layups and putbacks that were missed in the fourth quarter, several by Jonas Valanciunas, was laughable (or should I say ‘cryable’) and they were missing wide-open 3-pointers, as well. The Raptors, who got out to a 33-19 lead, hit just 5-of-24 shots in the fourth quarter and JV hit just 1-of-7 shots in that quarter. And that’s just too bad, as the guy had a great game for the other three quarters, racking up 21 points, 21 rebounds and a block. He hit just 7-of-19 shots, but his field goal percentage was great if you throw out the fourth quarter, when no one in a Raps jersey could seem to make a shot. Valanciunas is going to put up some big numbers in this series and it’s far from over, although the fact the Cavaliers crushed their spirit last night and took homecourt advantage is not a good thing for Toronto.

Kyle Lowry had a nice game, hitting 6-of-12 shots and three 3-pointers for 18 points, three boards, 10 assists and a steal, but he didn’t score a point in the fourth quarter. He did have a spectacular ‘And-1’ layup and converted the free throw in overtime to cut the lead to 113-112 with 57.9 seconds left in the extra session, but the Raptors couldn’t finish the deal. Lowry’s body language was pretty brutal during the fourth quarter, but he’s not going to just give up.

DeMar DeRozan hit 10-of-20 shots for 22 points, seven boards, five assists, a steal and three blocks, but was 0-for-4 from downtown and missed a putback that would have likely been the difference in the game, although it was not an easy shot.

Fred VanVleet was one of the stories of the night for the Raptors, as he aggravated a right shoulder injury and sat for much of the fourth quarter. However, the Raptors put him back in the game at the end and he missed a wide open 3-pointer that would have won it in regulation. He also missed the game’s final shot in overtime, another 3-pointer that was contested by Jeff Green. I can’t really put into words what it was like to watch the fourth quarter and overtime periods in this game, but it’s worth watching if you get the chance to do so. It was intense, fun, heartbreaking and mind-bending, all at the same time. If you’re thinking about using VanVleet going forward in any fantasy format, make sure that he’s good to go for Game 2, as he was being heavily attended to while on the bench. His shoulder might be jacked up.

Game 2 is Thursday in Toronto, which has now become a must-win scenario for the Raptors, at least according to Kevin Garnett and I.

Wednesday

Utah at Houston 8 p.m. on TNT – Houston leads 1-0 – The Rockets are healthy and should roll in this series, despite the great defense offered by the Jazz. Eric Gordon will look to bounce back from his seven points in 31 minutes without a field goal in Game 1, and there’s no way P.J. Tucker matches Game 1’s 15 points, six boards, three 3-pointers and a steal on 6-of-8 shooting.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2017-18 NBA season marks (at least) his 16th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander

We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies. for more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our cookie policy.